Dahl Administration LLC: If You Bought Natural Gas Between January 1, 2000 and October 31, 2002, You May File a Claim for Payment Under Class Action Settlements.

MINNEAPOLIS, Aug. 4, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Claims for payment may now be filed in settlements that have been reached with certain defendants in a series of class action lawsuits involving natural gas.

Why was this notice issued? Settlements have been reached with certain defendants in a series of class action lawsuits involving natural gas.  Claims for payment under the terms of these Settlements are now being accepted.  CLAIM FORMS MUST BE POSTMARKED OR SUBMITTED ONLINE NO LATER THAN September 26, 2017.

What are these lawsuits about? The lawsuits allege that certain companies involved in the production, marketing, or sale of natural gas engaged in an unlawful conspiracy to manipulate the price of natural gas.  Plaintiffs further claim that commercial and industrial purchasers of natural gas who purchased natural gas other than from utilities or local distribution companies and for their own use or consumption in Kansas, Missouri, or Wisconsin may recover for the effect that the alleged conspiracy had on the prices of the natural gas they purchased. Plaintiffs allege that, as result of the unlawful conspiracy, they and other purchasers paid more for natural gas than they would have absent the conspiracy. The settling defendants deny Plaintiffs' claims.

Who's included in the Settlements?

In the State of Kansas:  The settlement class includes all industrial and commercial direct purchasers of natural gas for their own use or consumption during the period from January 1, 2000 through October 31, 2002, and which gas was used or consumed by them in Kansas.  Excluded from the Class are (a) entities that purchased natural gas for resale (to the extent of such purchase for resale); (b) entities that purchased natural gas for generation of electricity for the purpose of sale (to the extent of such purchase for generation); (c) defendants and their predecessors, affiliates and subsidiaries; (d) the federal government and its agencies; and (e) Reorganized FLI, Inc. (f/k/a Farmland Industries, Inc.).

For purposes of this Kansas Settlement Class definition, a "direct purchaser" means an industrial or commercial entity that bought natural gas for its own use or consumption directly from any of the Defendants, or from a seller other than a local distribution company.

In the State of Missouri:

The settlement class includes all industrial and commercial direct purchasers of natural gas for their own use or consumption during the Relevant Time Period, and which gas was used or consumed by them in Missouri.  Excluded from the Class are (a) entities that purchased natural gas for resale (to the extent of such purchase for resale); (b) entities that purchased natural gas for generation of electricity for the purpose of sale (to the extent of such purchase for generation); (c) defendants and their predecessors, affiliates and subsidiaries; (d) the federal government and its agencies; and (e) Reorganized FLI, Inc. (f/k/a Farmland Industries, Inc.). 

For purposes of this Missouri Settlement Class definition, a "direct purchaser" means an industrial or commercial entity that bought natural gas for its own use or consumption directly from any of the Defendants, or from a seller other than a local distribution company.

In the State of Wisconsin:

The settlement class includes all industrial and commercial purchasers of natural gas for their own use or consumption during the period from January 1, 2000 through October 31, 2002, and which gas was used or consumed by them in Wisconsin. Excluded from the Class are (a) entities that purchased natural gas for resale (to the extent of such purchase for resale); (b) entities that purchased natural gas for generation of electricity for the purpose of sale (to the extent of such purchase for generation); (c) entities that purchased natural gas from entities that sold natural gas at rates approved by the Wisconsin Public Service Commission (to the extent of such purchases at such approved rates); (d) defendants and their predecessors, affiliates and subsidiaries; (e) the federal government and its agencies; and (f) Reorganized FLI, Inc. (f/k/a Farmland Industries, Inc.).

Who are the Settling Defendants? Settlements have been reached with Defendants American Electric Power Company, Inc., AEP Energy Services, Inc., Coral Energy Resources, L.P. (n/k/a Shell Energy North America (U.S.), L.P.), Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC (f/k/a/ Duke Energy Corporation), Duke Energy Trading and Marketing, L.L.C., ONEOK, Inc., ONEOK Energy Services Company, L.P. (f/k/a ONEOK Energy Marketing & Trading Company, L.P.), and previously dismissed defendant Kansas Gas Marketing Company (collectively, the "Settling Defendants"). A complete list of Defendants is set out in the Long Form of Notice available at www.NaturalGasAntitrustSettlement.com.

What do the Settlements provide?  The Settlements create a total settlement fund of $42,800,000 in cash, plus any interest accrued, before court-approved expenses and attorneys' fees (the "Settlement Fund"). The Class Representatives and Class Counsel have agreed, and the Court has preliminarily approved, an allocation of those funds to class members in Kansas, Missouri, and Wisconsin based primarily on the volume of natural gas sold in each state and differences in the claims and remedies available in each state.  Before deductions for attorneys' fees and expenses, the Settlement Fund is allocated as follows:  $20,522,000 to the Wisconsin Class; $14,089,600 to the Kansas Class; and $8,188,400 to the Missouri Class.

Do you qualify to make a claim? To qualify to receive settlement funds, you and your purchases must meet the following criteria:

• You must be a commercial or industrial user of natural gas (this includes businesses, manufacturing facilities, warehouses, commercial property, hospitals, universities, schools, etc.)
• You must have purchased natural gas for your own consumption in Kansas, Missouri, or Wisconsin (i.e., you burned or otherwise used the natural gas you purchased in one of these states) between January 1, 2000, and October 31, 2002. 
• You must have purchased natural gas from a seller other than a local utility or other entity regulated by one of these states (natural gas purchased from the utility serving your local community, does not qualify).
• You must not fall within one of the exclusions identified in the class definition. 
• Note: As long as you bought natural gas from a non-utility seller and meet the other criteria, the purchases qualify even if you used utilities or local distribution companies to transport your natural gas.  

How do you make a Claim? If you are a member of the Class as defined above, you may file a Claim Form to receive a payment from the Settlement Fund.  Please also submit any documentation or other evidence proving the volume of gas purchased.  Do not include purchases made directly from utilities or local distribution companies.

If you wish to request compensation from the Settlement Fund you MUST take action at this time. Please carefully review the specific provisions of the claim forms.  CLAIM FORMS MUST BE POSTMARKED OR SUBMITTED ONLINE NO LATER THAN September 26, 2017.

If you fail to submit a timely Claim Form, your claim will be rejected and you will be precluded from any recovery from the Settlement Fund.

To access online claim filing or download a Claim Form and Claim Form Instructions to complete and submit by mail, visit the Settlement Website at www.NaturalGasAntitrustSettlement.com and click on the link for the "first group" of Settlements which involve AEP, Coral, Duke, and ONEOK.  Then click on the "File a Claim" link to access the online or downloadable Claim Forms.  There are separate downloadable Claim Forms and Claim Form Instructions for Kansas, Missouri, and Wisconsin, depending upon the state in which the natural gas was used or consumed.

How can I get additional information? The Settlement Agreements and the Court-approved Long Form Notice summarizing the Settlements are available at www.NaturalGasAntitrustSettlement.com.  

The Court has appointed the law firms of Polsinelli PC, Barry Law Office, LLC, and McCallister Law Group, LLC to represent settlement class members in Kansas. 

The Court has appointed the law firms of Polsinelli PC and Barry Law Office, LLC to represent settlement class members in Missouri.

The Court has appointed the law firms of Kohner, Mann & Kailas, S.C., Polsinelli PC, and Barry Law Office, LLC to represent settlement class members in Wisconsin.  

This is a Summary Notice. For more details, call toll free 1-866-656-6750, visit www.NaturalGasAntitrustSettlement.com, or write to Natural Gas Claims Administrator, c/o Dahl Administration, PO Box 3614, Minneapolis, MN 55403-0614.

Please do not contact the Court about this case.

QUESTIONS? CALL 1-866-656-6750 or VISIT www.NaturalGasAntitrustSettlement.com

MEDIA: Jeff Houdek, 952-516-6507

SOURCE Dahl Administration, LLC